Readings & Reflections: Feast of Saint Stephen, First Martyr, December 26,2019

In the days following the birth of Christ, the Church presents us with three feasts that exemplify three kinds of “martyrdom.” Saint Stephen’s is the martyrdom willed and endured. Saint John willed to be a martyr (like his fellow Apostles), but did not die as one. The Holy Innocents, little children, did not will to be martyrs, but endured it nevertheless. They are the “first buds of martyrdom.” Stephen’s martyrdom, willed and endured, is the prototype of what it will look like to live as a Christian in the first four centuries of the Church. Stephen, whose name means, “crown” or “garland” was the first to gain the crown of martyrdom in the Church. He was one of the first seven deacons of the Church and was charged with helping to distribute alms. He was a man “filled with grace and power,” who preached and “worked great wonders and signs among the people.” The account of Stephen’s death is a short course in the martyrdom that would define Christian life in its first four centuries. After engaging in a debate with Hellenistic Jews, Stephen recounts for them their own history as having been fulfilled in Christ. To the ears of his accusers, Stephen’s words are blasphemy. Stephen’s marvelous countenance – “like an angel” – is a further irritant. They drag him outside the city to stone him. Stephen, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” has a vision of Christ – “looking up to heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”  Before he dies, he forgives his tormentors. A foil to Stephen, faithful to Christ, is one Saul, at whose feet the murderers throw their cloaks. The author of the Acts of the Apostles tells us that “Saul was consenting to his execution” (Acts 8:1). Later Saul will encounter Christ and become Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles.

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Opening Prayer

“Lord, help me to patiently and joyfully accept the hardships and adversities which come my way in serving you and persecution, even from people who profess their deep love for You.  Strengthen my faith and give me courage that I may not shrink back from serving You and doing your will”.  In your Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

Reading 1 ACTS 6:8-10; 7:54-59

Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyrenians, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke.

When they heard this, they were infuriated,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But he, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven
and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and he said,
“Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God.”
But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears,
and rushed upon him together.
They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.
The witnesses laid down their cloaks
at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm PS 31:3CD-4, 6 AND 8AB, 16BC AND 17

R. (6)Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety.
You are my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy.
R. Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Rescue me from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
R.Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

Alleluia PS 118:26A, 27A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD:
the LORD is God and has given us light.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 10:17-22

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Reflection 1 – Don’t worry about what to say

“When they hand you over, do not worry about what you will say or how you will say it. When the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. You yourselves will not be the speakers; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you.”

I once met a man who was quite controversial as his ideas and thoughts cannot seem to fit into the minds and hearts of his co-workers. Some say that he often fought the war of his neighbor much more than his. His love for what he believed is right not only in the eyes of men but of God, in a number of times, found him in a difficult and not very desirable situation.

The story about this man has always inspired me to stand by what I believe is right in God’s eyes.  It has also re-affirmed my belief that as workers in the Lord’s vineyard we may have differences in pursuing our God given mission and may unknowingly put each other down. Because of our self- righteousness, we are inclined to shut the door on our neighbor and even persecute him. Jesus Himself said: “Be on your guard with respect to others. They will hale you into court, they will flog you in their synagogues. You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings, to give witness before them and before the Gentiles on my account.”

If Jesus was persecuted and was tried like a criminal, this can happen to us, as well. If Jesus warned us about this, He knew because of man’s self-centeredness, we are liable to treat our neighbor the way He was treated by the elders of the Jewish church. “Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will turn against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all on account of me. But whoever holds out till the end will escape death.”

Should the day ever come to us that as servants of the Lord we will be persecuted and tried in God’s Name, let us surrender all our cares and commend to Him our spirit.  Let us continue to rely on His strength so that we may always be able to stand firm and steadfast. So that even in death we may be able to face any adversity as Saint Stephen did. So that with full faith in our Lord, we can pray, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Saint Stephen’s love of God kept him from yielding to the ferocious mob. His love for his neighbor made him pray for those who were stoning him. Love inspired him to reprove those who erred, to make them change. Love led him to pray for those who stoned him, to save them from punishment.

Love is the source of all that is good. It comes from our God and the way that leads to heaven. He who walks in love can never go astray nor be afraid. Love guides, protects and brings us to our Lord. Jesus made love the pathway that would allow all Christians to climb to heaven. We have to hold fast to it and in all sincerity give one another practical proof of it. So that instead of persecuting one another we can be united to one another and to our God. So that in time we can all make our ascent to our true home, together.

Direction

Rely on the Spirit of the Father Who in love will speak through you and defend you. Love one another so that in the spirit of a united Body of Christ we may be able to bring each other up to the Lord rather than bring each other down because of rivalry and competition.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are my rock and my fortress.  Into your hands, O Lord, I entrust my whole being and my spirit. In Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Reflection 2 – The road from Bethlehem leads to Calvary

Yesterday we celebrated a birth of Jesus; today December 26, we commemorate a death of St. Stephen. If yesterday we gave in to any degree of sentimentalism in welcoming the Christ Child, today’s liturgy shocks us back to reality with the witness of Stephen’s murder. He was a good man, “reputable, wise and filled with faith and the Holy Spirit.” Why then did he have to suffer and die?

Why does it have to be this way? Why do we have to suffer to follow Christ? Why indeed did Jesus himself have to undergo persecution, suffering and the horrid death of crucifixion? We are once more up against the mystery of suffering in God’s plan of redemption.

The Judeo-Christian tradition gives several answers to the question, “Why suffering?” There is suffering because of Adam’s dismissal from his happy home in Eden; Adam’s descendants suffer because they are in exile. There is suffering because God is punishing the human race for its rebellion. There is suffering because people keep on sinning, and the natural fall-out from sin is suffering. There is suffering because Satan prowls about the world seeking the ruin of souls. There is suffering because God has chosen to transform the negative of suffering into the positive of holiness.

None of these explanations is universally accepted. None of them keep those who are in pain from asking, “Why?” When the good and the innocent suffer we are especially hard put to explain how a good God allows it. Even Jesus cried out from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Stephen’s death does not dispel the mystery of suffering, but his efforts to identify his pain with that of Jesus suggests that our lack of understanding does not for that reason render suffering folly. There is meaning here even if we fail to comprehend. Jesus’ suffering was a vehicle for salvation. Our sufferings, united to Christ’s, are likewise a force for good. Suffering has something to do with love.

Let us follow the love of St. Stephen to the Lord. Stephen died as Jesus did: falsely accused and brought to unjust condemnation because he spoke the truth fearlessly. He dies with his eyes trustfully fixed on God and with a prayer of forgiveness on his lips. He accepted suffering and death with courage, trust and forgiving love.

Reflection 3 – The one who endures to the end will be saved

What is the connection between Bethlehem and Calvary – the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and his passion and death on a cross? The very reason the Son of God took on flesh and became a man for our sake was to redeem us from slavery to sin and death and to give us new life as the adopted children of God. The way to glory in the kingdom of God is through the cross. If we want to share in Jesus’ glory, then we, too, must take up our cross each day and follow in his footsteps.

The cost of following and serving the Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed and served him. Here Jesus says to his disciples – This is my task for you at its grimmest and worst; do you accept it? This is not the world’s way of offering glory, honor, and success. After the defeat at Dunkirk during World War II, Churchill offered his country “blood, toil, sweat, and tears.” Suffering for the name of Jesus Christ is not the message we prefer to hear when the Lord commissions us in his service. Nonetheless, our privilege is to follow in the footsteps of the Master who laid down his life for us. The Lord gives us sufficient grace to follow him and to bear our cross with courage and hope. Do you know the joy and victory of the cross of Jesus Christ?

“Lord Jesus, your coming in the flesh to ransom us from slavery to sin gives us cause for great rejoicing even in the midst of trials and pain. Help me to patiently and joyfully accept the hardships, adversities, and persecution which come my way in serving you. Strengthen my faith and give me courage that I may not shrink back from doing your will”. – Read the source: http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/2019/dec26.htm

Reflection 4 – Endurance

What is the connection between Bethlehem and Calvary – the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and his passion and death on a cross? The very reason the Son of God took on flesh and became a man for our sake was to redeem us from slavery to sin and death and to give us new life as the adopted children of God. The way to glory in the kingdom of God is through the cross. If we want to share in Jesus’ glory, then we, too, must take up our cross each day and follow in his footsteps. Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed him. Here Jesus says to his disciples: This is my task for you at its worst: do you accept it? In answer to this challenged in Peter’s experience, he was writing about the temporary tough times that come into our lives even though we haven’t chosen them, and he indicated that they can have lasting benefit. We rejoice during our trials, not for the trial itself but for the coming glory and honor, which is permanent. Tough times can bring pain and sadness – and they don’t seem to promise any good news at all. But Peter told us to “greatly rejoice” in them (Pt 1:6-7). He wanted us to look ahead to the forever joy that is promised – a joy that will help us understand the temporary tough times.

Nonetheless, our privilege is to follow in the footsteps of the Master who laid down his life for us. The Lord gives us sufficient grace to follow him and to bear our cross with courage and hope. Do you know the joy and victory of the cross of Jesus Christ?

Let’s examine ourselves and pray, “Lord Jesus, your coming in the flesh to ransom us from slavery to sin gives us cause for great rejoicing even in the midst of trials and pain. Help me to patiently and joyfully accept the hardships, adversities, and persecution which come my way in serving you. Strengthen my faith and give me courage that I may not shrink back from doing you will.”

Reflection 5 – Letting the spirit speak

What the world is going on? Yesterday was Christmas. Now all of a sudden we get a gloomy Gospel passage like this. Today we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen, the first recorded martyr in Christianity. Since the fifth century, his martyrdom has been celebrated on the day after Christmas. It is a reminder that belief in the child born on Christmas can be costly.

This Gospel passage is from a section in Matthew in which Jesus is preparing to send the twelve out into the world. He tells them that just as they share in his mission, so they will share in his persecution and martyrdom.

Jesus’ coming into our world shook up a lot of preconceived ideas. Stephen, filled with the power of the spirit and the wonder of the good news, tries to open the hearts and minds of his fellow Jews, but the leaders who felt threatened by these changes resisted to the point of stoning him to death. Our faith tells us that this is where belief in Jesus will lead: giving all that we are to proclaim in word and deed that Jesus had changed the world, even when the world doesn’t want to be changed. Jesus tells his followers in no uncertain terms that they will be hated and persecuted. But he also tells them that the Spirit will give them the words they need.

We might learn from both Jesus’ advice and Stephen’s example. One of the hardest things to master in family life is knowing when to speak and when to keep quiet. While we might think that we have all the answers, other people won’t thank us for telling them how to live their lives. We need to take extra time during these days to let the spirit of the Lord work through both our words and the hearts of our listeners. On this holiday that has come to be known for its excess, we might remember that less is more, especially when that less is filled with the spirit of peace, of love – in short, the spirit of God.

Reflection 6 – Rest in God’s hands

Reflection 9 – St. Stephen (d. 36 A.D.?)

All we know of Stephen is found in Acts of the Apostles, chapters Six and Seven. It is enough to tell us what kind of man he was:

At that time, as the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) Christians complained about the Hebrew-speaking Christians, saying that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit… (Acts 6:1-5).

Acts says that Stephen was a man filled with grace and power, who worked great wonders among the people. Certain Jews, members of the Synagogue of Roman Freedmen, debated with Stephen but proved no match for the wisdom and spirit with which he spoke. They persuaded others to make the charge of blasphemy against him. He was seized and carried before the Sanhedrin.

In his speech, Stephen recalled God’s guidance through Israel’s history, as well as Israel’s idolatry and disobedience. He then claimed that his persecutors were showing this same spirit. “[Y]ou always oppose the holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors” (Acts 7:51b).

His speech brought anger from the crowd. “But [Stephen], filled with the holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God….’ They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him…. As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit…. Lord, do not hold this sin against them’” (Acts 7:55-56, 58a, 59, 60b).

Story:

“The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul….

“Now Saul was consenting to his execution. On that day there broke out a severe persecution of the church in Jerusalem…. Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment….

“…[S]till breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord…as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around [Saul]. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ He said, ‘Who are you, sir?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting’ ” (Acts 7:58b; 8:1, 3; 9:1a, 3–5).

Comment:

Stephen died as Jesus did: falsely accused, brought to unjust condemnation because he spoke the truth fearlessly. He died with his eyes trustfully fixed on God, and with a prayer of forgiveness on his lips. A “happy” death is one that finds us in the same spirit, whether our dying is as quiet as Joseph’s or as violent as Stephen’s: dying with courage, total trust and forgiving love.

Patron Saint of: Bricklayers, Deacons, Hungary

Read the source: http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1241

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